Methods and devices that detect biological variations in humans have been in use since the late 1800s. “Biofeedback” systems were developed to detect human physiological functions such as heart rate and translate them into an output that allowed people to observe and manipulate them. Devices used in these systems include electroencephalographs (EEGs), which measure the electrical activation of the brain from scalp sites across the human cortex; and electrocardiograms (ECGs), which use electrodes attached to the human body to measure the electrical activity of the heart. Two types of heart-activity measurements are heart rate (or interbeat intervals) and heart-rate variability (or statistical variability of interbeat intervals).
Over the last 40 years, methods and devices that detect human heart beat and heart-rate variability have been employed in the study of nervous-system function and cognitive and emotional changes in people. This research is used to study human ability to adapt effectively to environmental stress.
From the discovery of biofeedback grew the invention of musical generation from biofeedback. With the availability of a Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI) platform in the 1980s, methods and computer devices have been developed to generate musical tones from human biorhythms by use of these MIDI sound generators and synthesizers.
MIDI information includes MIDI note and continuous-controller (MIDI CC) messages. A MIDI Processor processes MIDI through a master clock, MIDI bus and MIDI effects.
MIDI effects include MIDI signal processors, which include MIDI scalers, MIDI pitch effects, MIDI delays and note echoes, MIDI chord processors, arpeggiators, note-length effects and other effects.
MIDI scalers limit MIDI note data streams to a specific scale or key.
MIDI pitch effects determine the base pitch of a note and can be used to change the octave of a specific instrument or to change the interval relationship between one MIDI note stream and another.
Arpeggiators define the number of MIDI notes that can be expressed per measure.
An audio master mixes the output of various MIDI instruments.
MIDI Instruments are sample-based instruments, oscillators or tone generators.
Audio effects include audio signal processors such as delay, reverb, distortion, overdrive, bit crushers, filters, resonators, panning vibrato, tremolo, compressor, and other effects.
Presets are specific configurations of MIDI Instruments, MIDI effects and audio effects.
Biofeedback is the process of gaining awareness of physiological functions using instruments that provide information on the activity of those systems, with a goal of being able to manipulate them at will.
The term “biodata” is used here to describe data that depicts human states of consciousness as output by wearable biofeedback devices.
Portable electronic devices include smartphones, tablet devices and the like.
Algorithms are processes or sets of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer.
A logarithm is a quantity representing the power to which a fixed number must be raised to a given number. In this embodiment, logarithmic functions are applied to values generated from a biofeedback device, resulting in specific ranges of control messages which, together with MIDI note messages, are translated into musical tones by a MIDI server.
Signal-chain processing refers to a flow of control from one input to another. Output from one portion of the chain supplies input to the next. In this context signal-chain processing refers to the intentional alteration of audio signals.
Sonification refers to the generating of musical tones from data.
Note-shifting is the use of MIDI software to shift musical notes.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence demonstrated by machines.
A “computer readable-medium” is also known as software.